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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26183299">time warp</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/MercurialComet/pseuds/MercurialComet'>MercurialComet</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>five man band [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Final Fantasy XV</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>5+1 Things, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Awkward Conversations, Awkward Romance, Awkwardness, But now with 5 people, Getting Together, M/M, Technically Sex Work, Time Travel Fix-It, it's not explicit, please, read the earlier fics to understand</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 05:08:30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>7,331</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26183299</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/MercurialComet/pseuds/MercurialComet</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Or how the Chocobros meet up with Rius at his place of work 5 times (plus one time he ran into them there)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Gladiolus Amicitia/Prompto Argentum/Noctis Lucis Caelum/Ignis Scientia/Original Male Character(s)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>five man band [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1764427</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Gladio</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>hahaha i am back i swear.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Gladio woke up with a headache and different memories. He was on the road, he was on a chocobo, he was fighting with Iggy and Prom, he was 33 and facing a god-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His phone buzzed, and he picked it up to see a message from Ignis. “Are you awake?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I am. How are you?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I remember quite a lot of darkness, if that tells you anything.” Six, even through text, Iggy’s sarcasm is sharp.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How’s your eyesight?” Gladio asks.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Impeccable.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Should we check on Noctis and Prompto?” Right after he asks the question, the groupchat between the four of them starts buzzing with Prompto’s rapid messages.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Guyd”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Guyd”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Guys.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Are you awake? IS it reall?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Please tell me I’m not losing me mind.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Me mind.” Noctis responds. Prompto gives it a thumbs down.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I believe we’re all talking about the road trip that is supposed to happen a week from now?” Ignis sends.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah. Except it all went horribly wrong until we could fix it.” Noctis says.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Gladio frowns. “Uh, it still went wrong when we fixed it, genius. You died.” Noctis gives the message a thumbs down.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So we all remember it?” Prompto asks.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Looks like it.” Noctis replies.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We need to make sure that Ardyn can’t pull his shit again.” Gladio warns them, already angry about what the man did to them all. All of the others give thumbs up and applause emojis.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No need.” Ignis replied. “I’ve been up for a while now researching the man. He doesn’t appear to exist anymore.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Are you sure?” Noctis asks.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m positive. If Izunia is still alive, he’s hardly in a position of power.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Alright, that’s great, but does anyone else remember Rius?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Gladio looks at Prompto’s message. Rius. The guy they picked up on the road. “We need to see if he’s fine. That’s gotta be a lot of stuff to deal with alone.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How are we gonna talk to him?” Noctis asked. “We don’t have a way to contact him.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We do know his place of employment.” Ignis replied. “Are we down for a trip to the Lock and Key in the City?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Gladio remembers a talk at night, on the rocky floor of a haven. He feels his face heat up, and quickly responds. “Me and him had a talk about it. I should probably go.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh. I overheard it. Thank you for taking initiative.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Gladio can see how he fell into that one. He gives the message a blank stare emoji before he puts the phone down, getting out of bed to get ready for the day. He had a lot of work to do in the rumor mill today.</span>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span>Rius woke up and sat in his bed for a few minutes. Was all of that a dream? Is he losing his mind? There’s no way he actually fought at the end of the world with the king, right?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His stomach growls, and he gets up to make himself breakfast this afternoon before he heads out for his shift. He puts on a pair of jeans and a shirt, grabs his jacket and backpack, locks the door on his way out, and takes the subway to the Lock and Key.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He feels on edge in the subway, even as he listens to music. His eyes and mind let him know that the subway is working and well-lit. The rest of his body is tense, remembering dark tunnels and constant danger. He lets out his breath when he gets out, the feeling of the sun on his face calming him down, reminding him that it was just a bad dream.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He gets into the Lock and Key and waves at Anders as he goes to check in. “Evening, Rius. How long do you think you’ll be here tonight?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hm.” Rius thought about it. “4 hours? I need to just get into the swing of things again.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Anders raised an eyebrow. “You were here last night. Are you okay?“</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m fine.” Rius finished signing in and shouldered his bag. “What’s the theme for tonight?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s Wednesday, so it’s half off.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Great.” Rius said, making his way into the back so he could change. “I’ll take whatever tables you wanna give me today. Toss in a performance or two whenever you can.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Poles or silks?” Anders asks as he opens the door.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Both!”</span>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span>“Here are your drinks, can I take your order?” Rius waits, holding his notepad and pencil as the table he’s currently working with takes a moment to look over him. He knows he’s in good shape, and the Lock and Key can work with a few pretty faces.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No,” A woman says, unabashedly staring at his chest. “I don’t think we are. Can you come back later?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He smiles. This is the third table that’s done this, so he was waiting to hear that response. “Of course, take your time.” He turns around and hears the expected gasps and pleased hums before he walks away.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Part of him is wondering who was elite enough in the group to secure access for the night as he picks up food for another table. He smiles at Krista as they pass each other and safely delivers the food to its destination. It takes a while for everyone to get the food that they actually ordered, but that’s only because he has to repeat every order at least twice to make sure that people hear him. He casually avoids the hand that’s a bit too close to the edge of the table to him and points to a sign of the rules in the corner with a smile as he leaves.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Anders catches him before he can worry about his next table. “The grey silks are open for you if you want to blow off some steam.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It’s the best news he heard all day. “Great. You’ll tell my tables, right?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yep. Knock ‘em dead.”</span>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span>In the end, Noctis finds out where the Lock and Key is. Gladio has gotten nowhere in the Crownsguard when he gets the message from the prince. “Dad believes us. Here’s what you need.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Following the message is a pin on a map, and Gladio grins at the sheer idea of the king of Lucis being at the place.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Later that evening, he got dressed, hoping that the button down shirt, suit jacket, and slacks gave him the air of being an “elite” person. He parks his car and walks to the building, noting how quiet the block seemed to be. He knocked on the door and was quickly ushered in. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He had to sign three NDAs before the host even looked at him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Party of one?” The host asked. He nodded. “Alright, follow me.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Soon, Gladio is seated at a table alone. A menu is placed in front of him as he glances around at all of the workers. Rius wasn’t kidding about the uniforms being light, he thought to himself as he noticed the skimpy nature of the uniforms.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It will take a while for your waiter to reach you.” The host told him. “He’s currently in the middle of a performance on the grey silks if you want to watch.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Gladio doesn’t really want to watch. It sounds interesting, but he’s too busy looking around for Rius. He scans the entire building twice before he realizes that the guy he’s looking for is on the grey silks.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He tries not to be weird about watching him. He’s on a mission, he just needs to talk to the guy, and apparently he’s gonna be his waiter, so it makes sense to keep track of where he is. There was light applause as he was coming down from where he was in the air, constantly backflipping to unwind himself. Gladio watched as he climbed back up with a flourish, wrapping the fabric so that it held his weight as he swung upside down for a few seconds. Honestly, the man looked graceful as hell as he worked, and Gladio was impressed. At one point, he blinked and Rius was doing the splits, the silk only wrapped around his feet as he balanced himself in the air.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His fighting style made even more sense now that Gladio could see this. He was obviously strong, but also dexterous, and that worked well with what he remembered. His heart jumps when Rius quickly swings himself upward, posing as a flag. For a moment, Gladio has the strange idea to ask for his ab routine, because Rius makes it look easy and doesn’t even shake. Gladio is fully focused on this performance and several times he has to stop himself from looking at how the silk wrapped around the dancer’s thighs.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Gladio finds himself joining in the applause as Rius slides down the silks and walks off the stage. It takes a few more minutes for him to reappear, and Gladio has to keep himself from yelling out and waving at him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rius walks over to him after dealing with another table, tray tucked under his arm, and notepad in hand. “Hello sir, welcome to the Lock and Key. Tonight’s deal is buy one get one half-off.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Even your clothes, right?” Gladio unhelpfully thinks to himself as he stares at the small grey shorts Rius wears. Besides the black slip on shoes, that’s the only thing he’s wearing. He hums in acknowledgement.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Can I get you started with a drink, si-” Gladio looks up and sees a look of shock on Rius’ face before it disappears. “Your drink?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Water.” Gladio answers, handing over the menu. “The name’s Gladiolus.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rius nodded. “I’ll get that water for you, Gladio.” The two froze at how casually Gladio’s nickname was said, and Rius quickly walked away.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Gladio sighed and looked down on the table. This was going to take a while.</span>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span>Alright. Gladio is real. That’s concerning. But Rius can work with this. He taps Anders’ shoulder as he grabs Gladio’s water. “Hey, Anders, 2 quick questions.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Fire away.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Do you know anything about a guy named Ardyn Izunia?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Anders frowned. “Can’t say that I have. Is he from here?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, he’s from Niflheim. Just wanted to check something.” Rius places the glass of water on his tray. “Second thing, can you keep a private room open?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Grabbing a favor tonight?” Anders asked, side eyeing him. “You’re going to tire yourself out with everything you’re doing tonight.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rius feels his face heat up. “It’s not like that.” He said. “I just ran into someone familiar and want to catch up with them.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Anders hummed. “I’ll see what I can do.” They said, looking back at the table chart. “That guy’s your only table still here anyway, so I’ll divert traffic as long as I can for you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thanks.” Rius sighed. “I owe you one.” He walked away, heading back towards Gladio’s table.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Gladio smiled when he put the glass down on the table. “Thanks.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s no problem.” Rius said, choosing to stick to the small script he generally used at work. “Are you ready to order?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Not right now.” Gladio admitted, picking up the menu. “Do you have any recommendations?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As Rius thought about the menu, he remembered something that happened in his “dream”: a brief interaction between him and Gladio as they were leaving Lestallum.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“You like the meat cup noodles over the shrimp ones?” Rius asked, scrunching up his face in disgust. “Why?”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“It’s hearty.” Gladio said, as if that made all the sense in the world. “It builds character.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“It ruins your teeth.” Rius complained. “It’s like rubber in a sea of broth.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Meat Cup Noodles are not for the weak of heart-”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well,” Rius started, “I personally enjoy the shrimp alfredo, but I think you’ll like our burgers and steaks. If you want a lighter meal, we have some meat noodles and soup.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Gladio looked back up at him with a smile. “I’ll have the noodles and soup with meat.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rius writes down his order. “I’ll let the chefs know right away.” He starts to turn around when Gladio speaks.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thanks, Rius.”</span>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span>After the words leave his lips, Gladio knows he’s fucked up. Rius fully stops, and the dancer looks scared. The smile on his face is strained, and for the first time in this interaction, he seems to shrink away from Gladio, crossing his arms over his chest. “I never told you my name.” He notes.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Gladio can’t tell if he’s the headlights or the deer. “Yeah.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How did you know it?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There’s no point in hiding the truth. “We met a few years back, remember?” He asks. “You joined us on a road trip.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rius looks at him for what feels like forever. It’s reminiscent of so many scenes between the two, especially in their campfire talk. He sighs and shakes his head. “We should have this conversation somewhere private. Come on.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Gladio followed him through the building, trying hard not to focus on the people around him as they whispered. He ended focusing on Rius’ back, watching all of his muscles at work as he strolled through the place like he owned it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Soon, they were at a door with a sign that read “VACANT”. Rius flipped it to “OCCUPIED” and opened the door. “Wait here for a minute, I’ll be back with your food.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Gladio wanted to say that he didn’t have to, but decided to just let it happen. He walked into the room and sat down on the table. Looking around, he noticed that the lights were dim, with small mood lights blinking in and out. The bed in the room had him reeling from a past memory.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Did you ever do any favors?”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>There’s a long silence in the haven. Rius sighs. “A few.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Gladio wonders if this is the room where those favors were done. And then he wonders why the hell he wanted to know so badly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rius returns with the bowl of noodles and Gladio’s heart and stomach soar. “Here you go.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He’s about to eat a heaping forkful of the stuff when he realizes Rius is just sitting there. “You want anything to eat?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m fine.” Rius says, and Gladio refuses to believe it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nah, go get yourself something. My treat.” He offers. “Maybe one of those weak shrimp dishes.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rius laughs. “Hey, it’s not my fault you don’t have taste.” He jokes, getting up and walking out. He returns later with his own bowl, and the two share their meal in complete silence at first. the only sounds in the room being the sounds of them eating.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So,” Rius says at the end of the meal. “All of that actually happened, huh?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Gladio nodded, taking his last bite.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Great.” Rius groaned, putting his bowl down. “So that means that everything I remember-” He shivered and Gladio immediately took off his suit jacket and handed it out to him. Rius put it on, and it wasn’t too big on him. “Thanks.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No problem.” Gladio answered. “Kinda reminds me of you wearing my shirts.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The room was silent, and Gladio felt the heat start to build on his cheeks. Rius doesn’t appear to be blushing, but his skin is so dark, it’s hard to tell anyway. “Sorry about saying that-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s fine-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know what’s-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You don’t have to explain yourself.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Gladio broke eye contact, looking at the ceiling as he cursed the Astrals for putting him in this awkward situation. “So. About the road trip.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“When was it?” Rius asks, before awkwardly coughing. “I mean, ‘when is it’.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“A week. We want you to join us.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hm. That’s cool.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah.” Gladio feels so awkward about this. Social situations were not his thing. Ignis would be better at this, Six, Rius would be better at this. “The other guys and I were concerned for you, you know.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The tapping of a finger on a leg catches his attention, and Gladio looks over at Rius looking at the wall and tapping his thigh. “Really?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah. We lost track of you for ten years, Rius,” Gladio says, and Rius flinches at his words. It makes him feel guilty and Gladio slides closer to try and comfort him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rius seems smaller than he usually is. “Thanks for caring, I guess.” He says with a small voice, and that’s definitely not okay. “I have so much to think about now.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Are you gonna be okay? I’m heading to Noct's after this,” Gladio says, the offer to take Rius there just implied instead of stated.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rius doesn’t answer for a few moments. He looks over at Gladio, and Gladio can’t help but notice how stupid that fake smile on his face is, and how he looks in his jacket, and how well he danced with those silks, and everything that happened in whatever past life-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Gladio isn’t aware of how they started making out, but he’s aware of when they split apart. They’re both breathing heavily, Gladio’s hand is on Rius’ thigh, and Rius holds onto his arm like it’s a lifeline.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They don’t move.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So, uh-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Noctis’ place.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Right.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I can’t.” Rius says. “I gotta get my stuff home after my shift.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Gladio’s heart sinks. “Oh.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Do you have your phone? I’ll add myself in.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Gladio moves to reach for his phone, but he realizes it’s in an inside pocket on the jacket. “It’s in the right pocket.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Right.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>This is the most awkward thing Gladio can remember doing in his life, and he was on a road trip with 4 other guys, including Rius. What the hell was he thinking?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rius handed him his phone and jacket. Gladio took them. “So, you probably have to go back to work right now, huh?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah. If you want to, you can leave.” Rius says, looking himself over. Gladio’s almost upset that he doesn’t look like he’s made out with someone. “Make sure that you pay at the front.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Got it.” Gladio nods, getting up from the desk. “How much should I tip you?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rius practically falls off the desk. Gladio catches him. His body is hot. “You don’t have to!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But then I’d be a lousy tipper.” Gladio says with a smile.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>On his way out the door, he tips 25%. That half off-deal also applied to Rius’ meal, and Gladio thinks that this could’ve been a worse trip.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When he gets to Noctis’ apartment, he opens the door to find his three friends making out on the couch. He drops his jacket onto the floor and sighs when all three split apart, just like how he and Rius did earlier.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay, we gotta have a talk about this.”</span>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span>When Rius is finished changing out of his uniform, he checks his phone and sees that he’s been added to a group chat labelled “five man band”. So, he puts in his earbuds, ignores the night sky, and sends a mandatory “Hello.” as he walks to the subway station.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Greetings. This is Ignis.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey Rius this is PRom!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Gladio here.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s nice to see my PR manager again.”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Noctis</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>There’s a certain odd rush in Noctis’ bones right now. Sure, it was awkward that Gladio came back while he was making out with Iggy and Prompto, but it was still there.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Alright,” Ignis said, leaning back in his spot on the couch. Noctis had no idea when his shirt came off. “Where do we start?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Let’s start with the fact that you’ve all decided to start making out without me,” Gladio said. Then he shook his head. “What the hell?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Noctis smirked. “If you want to make out with all of us, you just have to ask, Gladio,” he said, completely down for the idea.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Are you down with this already?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Noctis thinks about it for a moment. He’s shared a lifetime of memories with these guys, literally. Was there something wrong with the idea that he finds them all attractive? Gladio’s commitment and muscles, Ignis’ brains and “take charge” attitude, Prompto’s cheerfulness and excitement, and Rius’ charm and flexibility all were pretty good talking points, but not the only things about them that he admired. “It just makes sense,” he said with a shrug. “I care about you guys a lot.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ignis suddenly looks conflicted. “Oh dear. Your marriage with Lady Lunafreya.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Noctis feels dead to the world for a second. “Oh, right.” That’s a whole can of worms he barely wanted to touch before the fight against Leviathan. “I can talk to her about this. Although she probably knows, being the Oracle and everything.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Still, are you sure it’s okay?” Prompto asked, laying on the floor. “You’re gonna be married soon. I think.” He looked at Ignis. “Is that still happening now that Ardyn isn’t dragging Niflheim to war?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It looks like it,” Ignis stated. “It’s mostly symbolic at this point, but the marriage is set up to be in the Crown City after we come back from our mission with the tombs.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“See,” Gladio said, “Can’t be a homewrecker.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Noctis sighed, not sure of what to say right now. “It’s not like that. Luna and I are just friends. She’s like a sister to me.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Gladio,” Prompto says, and Noctis looked over at the blond. “Why are your lips swollen?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Noctis looked closely at his Shield and realized that not only were his lips slightly bigger, but his hair looked like it was messed with, and there was a light blush on his cheeks.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ignis had a grin on his face. “You had some fun with Rius, I presume?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Noctis smirked. “Gladio. Shield by my side. Friend my whole life-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Gladio’s blush darkened. “It’s not like that-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So, you didn’t make out with Rius?” Prompto asked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Gladio spluttered and coughed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Noctis laughed. “We got him, boys.”</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>“So,” his dad starts when the two are alone in the throne room. “How was the Lock and Key?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Noctis is surprised at how open his dad is about the whole situation. “I don’t know. Gladio went.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Regis hummed. “That makes sense. I don’t think he’d forgive himself if you were hurt while you were there.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sounds like you know what you’re talking about.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Because I do.” Noctis looked over at his dad with an eyebrow raised. “I was young once too, Noctis. Don’t give me that look.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The Lock and Key has been around for that long?” The prince asked, genuinely curious.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, the Lock and Key is practically one of the oldest professions,” Regis answered, smiling at his son’s curiosity. “I went in there as a prince and left with one of my closest friends.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Noctis wonders- “Was it Cid?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Actually,” Regis starts, leaning in to whisper. “It was Cor.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Really? Didn’t take him as the type.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Regis nods. “Saved my life that day.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nice,” Noctis says. The room is quiet for a while. “So you wouldn’t be upset if I went?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Not particularly. I wouldn’t be surprised either.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Noctis nods. “Cool.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Although,” Regis says, “I do want to meet this ‘Rius’ that you’ve been talking about.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I haven’t said that much about him.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Noctis, when you were telling me about your situation with the Astrals, it was very obvious that Rius had managed to become a very important part of your group.” Regis said, and Noctis tried very hard not to react. “I would like to talk to the man at the very least.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Noctis pulled out his phone. “I can text him, if that’s okay?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Regis sighed. “Go for it, my son.”</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>Noctis isn’t that surprised when he answers a knock on his door and Luna enters his apartment with a wave and a soft “Hello”. He simply smiles, heads to the kitchen, and gets them both a drink as they sit down in his living room.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So,” Noctis started, “what brings the Oracle around?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luna stirred her tea. “I just wanted to see how you were doing after the Astrals decided to bring us back.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You remember it too?” Noctis’ heart sunk. “Luna, I-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s alright.” She reaches over the table and wipes a tear on his cheek. “Everything is alright.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Is it?” Noctis asks, pushing his drink away from him. “Luna, you died. You were murdered.” She paused. Noctis sighed. “We don’t have to talk about it-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No,” She said. Her voice was tighter now. “We should. It would help a lot.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Right,” Noctis says. He takes a sip of his soda. “How are you? About it now, I guess.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m better about it now,” Luna said with a sigh. “The day after I woke up, I had a horrible pain in my chest from where Ardyn stabbed me.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It still feels like I’m being stabbed by all the royal weapons,” Noctis admitted.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What about you? You went through all of that and the Crystal. And whatever happened after you came out of it.” Luna shook her head. “I still don’t fully understand it myself.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I wasn’t aware you knew about that.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Noctis. We’re connected. Even in death, I cheered you on your quest.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He knows the guilt is clear as day on his face. “I’m so sorry, Luna. I should’ve fought harder.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“There was nothing you could do,” Luna says softly. “Ardyn had the entirety of Niflheim’s might after me.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We should’ve met up, we could’ve protected you-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We all would have died, Noctis,” Luna says. Her voice shakes now. It’s the first time Noctis has ever seen her close to tears. “I almost ran to you when I realized what was happening, but we would’ve died and Ardyn would plunge the world into chaos.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The room was heavy with her words. Noctis feels sick for a few moments. Luna was sacrificing herself the entire time? On purpose?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Luna-” He starts. And then he breaks down, sobbing.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There’s too much to really talk about what makes him start crying now, but as he hugs Luna, he realizes she’s crying too, and that makes him feel a little better. It takes some time for them both to get all the emotions out, but soon they’re sitting down again, this time with red eyes and the weight off the world slightly lighter on their shoulders.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So,” Luna starts, calmly sipping her tea. “How are the others? Prompto keeps on sending me memes.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Noctis chuckles. “I never thought I would hear you say ‘memes’. They’re fine. Ignis’ cooking is divine now, you have to try it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luna hums.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And Prompto feels so comfortable with his camera and photography, his selfies are so much better. And Gladio is. Well, still Gladio, but he’s more open. I think.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And Rius?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I actually haven’t been able to talk to him yet,” Noctis admits with a sheepish grin. “I texted him a few times, but I think my dad and I are going to see him tomorrow.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s good,” Luna says, smiling. “I am glad that you have such a good relationship with them all.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Noctis’ heart sinks, and he looks down at the table. “Right. A good relationship.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Noctis,” Luna says, and he barely looks up. “It’s okay. I was going to call off the wedding.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He can’t have heard her correctly. “What?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m calling off the wedding.” She repeats. “I love you, and you love me, but our love for each other is like my love for Ravus. Love between a brother and sister.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But, the Crown. And Tenebrae-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Will understand,” Luna says, and she says it like she has already seen it. Maybe she has. “We are still going to be in each other’s lives. But not in marriage. I do not want to ruin what you have with your-” She airquotes the word “-boys.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Noctis laughs at the sight of the Oracle airquoting something, and Luna joins him. It’s nice to laugh again after a serious topic. “Thank you, Luna.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You're welcome, Noctis.” She smiles, and there’s a twinkle in her eye. “Do you mind if we get something to eat? I’m famished.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sure, I know a good burger place nearby.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“As long as they have a salad, I will be fine.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ugh, vegetables.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And you wonder why you haven’t grown.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey, what does that mean? Will I grow if I eat vegetables?”</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>Rius wakes up in the middle of the day, a time he is certainly not used to. He showers, pulls on a pair of trunks, and gets his coffee machine going as he makes himself a bowl of cereal for breakfast.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He eats quickly, wanting to enjoy his Saturday off with some video games and music. He takes his mug of coffee and places it onto the coffee table, turning on his console and tossing the controller onto the couch. He’s just about to turn on his speakers when he hears a knock on his door.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Still somewhat asleep, he heads over to the door and opens it, rubbing his eyes to get the bright light out of them. When his vision clears, he sees Noctis standing there. “Hey, Noct.” He says, waving. Noctis looks shocked. Rius’ brain registers who’s at his door. “Noct!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He hugs the prince, and there’s a brief hesitation before he’s hugged back. “Hey, Rius.” Noctis says, and it’s good to hear his voice again after everything he remembers. “How are you doing?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m fine. Doing well.” The hug breaks apart, and Rius can see a blush on Noctis’ face. It’s cute. “How’re you? What are you doing here?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m good. I talked with Luna yesterday.” Noctis looks uncomfortable. “And I’m here because, uh, well-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He wanted us to meet.” A second voice says, and it’s just now that Rius notices Noctis’ dad standing off to the side.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Noctis’ dad. King Regis. The king of Lucis. Is at his doorstep.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It’s at this moment that Rius remembers that he’s only wearing black trunks. Shit. Noctis’ behavior makes sense now.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Your Highness.” Rius says, bowing. “Please, come in. If you’ll excuse me, I have to make myself presentable.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He turns around and walks away, heading into his room. He’s not quite sure, but he thinks that Noctis stares at his ass as he leaves.</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>When Rius returns, dressed in a collared shirt and jeans, Noctis feels both relieved and disappointed. ”I’m so sorry for earlier, Your Highness. “ Rius says, walking over to where his dad sits on the couch and bowing. “I had a long shift last night and just forgot to have my coffee.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His dad stands up, holding out his hand. “It’s quite alright.” He says as they shake hands. “I just wanted to speak to my son’s PR manager, Mr.-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Erriant. Visurius Erriant. I’m glad to have been-” Rius cuts himself off, looking at Noctis. “Be? I’m still trying to put everything together.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Regis chuckles. “I understand. From what Noctis is able to tell me, it sounds like you all have some things to work through. But I digress, my son and I wanted to take you out for lunch.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh? I would enjoy that a lot.” Rius smiles, and Noctis is glad that he’s saved his introduction with his dad.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Lunch is a simple affair in the royal canteen, and Rius seems to be enjoying himself. Noctis’ ears burn as his dad talked about how he was like as a child.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And he was so entranced by the sight of the atrium!” Regis crowed, chuckling. Rius smiled politely as he took a bite of food. “Ah, but that’s enough of me embarrassing my son. I don’t want to take over the entire conversation. How did you two meet?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Uh,” Rius looked over at a laughing Noctis. “I ran into Noctis after pulling a gun on the others?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Regis’ eyes widened.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“In my defense,” Rius scrambled, “I was on edge after running from the Empire.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ah,” Regis said. “That makes sense. I heard that they were more militant than they are now. I’m sorry for bringing it up.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The conversation grew quiet after Rius accepted the king’s apology. Noctis rolled his eyes. “Look, Rius. How do you feel about going on another road trip?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Still?” Rius asked. “I thought Niflheim wasn’t that big of a problem now.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I still have to go to all the tombs, and talk to all the gods, and Prom is still, y’know, so we have to find some way to shut that down.” Noctis said, counting it all on his fingers. “Either way, it wouldn’t hurt to have my PR manager with me.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rius still looked conflicted about it. “But I won’t have my weapons with me. I stole them from the Empire, remember?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Regis cleared his throat. “About that,” he said, “As long as Noctis can connect to you in the Armiger, he should be able to grant you access to weapons. Sadly, I don’t think that we have any fancy ropes and daggers, but how would you like to learn magic?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rius nods. “I can work with that. When can we start?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Noctis smirked, standing up with excitement at the thought of Rius staying with them. “We can start now.”</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>In the end, the start of the road trip gets pushed back so Rius can feel comfortable with the runic gauntlets that King Regis provides him. At first, he tries to hand over the engraved bracelets to Noctis so they can be stashed in the Armiger, but Noctis physically feels himself recoil.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rius frowns. “You okay?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah. Uh, I’m fine.” Noctis said. “Just remembered Ardyn messing with it. The Armiger, I mean.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rius nodded. “Right. That’s fine, I can carry them.” He had slipped them on, and the metal looked good against his skin. “Just let me know if you start remembering other things, okay? We can get through our- issues- together.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Noctis really couldn’t stop himself from going onto the tips of his toes to peck the dancer on the cheek. “Thanks. Now go kick Cor’s ass.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Uh,” Rius looked dazed for a moment before he smirked. “I’ll be sure to do it now.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When Rius leaves after the fight, Noctis hears Cor saying that it was one of the trickiest duels he's fought in a while.</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>“Hey, Rius-” Jamison says on Rius’ last day at the Lock and Key in the City, the road trip starting tomorrow, “The Crown Prince is requesting that you be his waiter. Are you okay with that?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rius smirks, watching his coworkers’ attention turn to him. “I’m down with it,” He says, straightening his vest. “Which table is he at?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Uh, table 5.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thanks.”</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>Noctis isn't dumb. He's been around Rius long enough to know that the man was in decent shape. Hell, when Rius hugged him at his apartment, Noctis was surprised at how little seemed to change from the rewind.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>However, the sight of Rius in a suit vest and leggings takes his breath away. It takes a considerable amount of effort for him to take his eyes off of his PR manager's biceps and by the smirk on Rius' face, he knows he's been caught. Oh well.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Can I have a Sprite to start with?" Noctis asks, as if he wasn't shamelessly checking Rius out.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rius’ smirk gets a little bigger. "I'm sorry, we don't have Sprite. Is Sierra Mist okay?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Noctis' smirk falls off of his face as he remembers one of his more embarrassing moments.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>"What do you mean you don't have Sprite?! It's Sprite! What am I supposed to do with this cheap ass knock off?!"</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I'll just have water." Noctis says, choosing not to push the issue in front of everyone. "Would you mind coming back later so I can order my food?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rius took note on his pad. "I'll be sure to do that. Just so you know, there is a house special on favors tonight, if you're interested." He winked, and Noctis felt his cheeks get warmer as he walked away.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They were still warm when Rius came back and placed a glass of water on the table. "Ready to order?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Noctis hummed, putting down the menu. "I'll have the quarter pound burger with fries. No onions."</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
    <br/>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rius looked up after he took the order. “And on the house special?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Noctis smiled. “I would love that.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rius smiled back at him. “Good. If you can wait, I’ll put your order in quickly.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And if I can’t?” Noctis asks before he can stop himself. They share an embarrassed glance before Rius sighs.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll see what I can do,” is the only answer Noctis gets before Rius steps away. Noctis sighs.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Gods, they’re such a mess.</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>Soon, Noctis and Rius are giggling as they enter the private room, food in hands and ready to be eaten. “So, Prompto just walked in?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Noctis said, laughing as he placed his food down on the table. “I never heard Gladio scream so loudly in my life.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wow, I would’ve paid so much to be a fly on the wall.” Rius took a seat in the chair, calmly crossing his legs.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Noctis took the seat next to him. “Would’ve loved for you to be there,” he says just before he takes a bite out of his burger. “But I’m fine with settling for you joining us on the trip.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rius sighs, leaning back in his chair. “That’s nice.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Noctis looked up from his plate, concerned at the jaded tone in Rius’ voice. “Everything okay?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rius sipped his drink. “Sorry. It just hit me that this is my life now,” he says, looking down at the table. “Like, I know I’ve done this before but…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey, I got it, it's a lot.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But, I haven’t even seen all the guys yet,” Rius says, and Noctis realizes that all 5 of them haven’t been in the same place at all since the rewind. “Like, I know I know Prompto, but for all I know now, he could just be a bot responding to the texts.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The burger falls from the prince’s hands and onto his plate. “Oh Six,” he gasps out. “You’ve only really talked to me and Gladio. We need to change that.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I mean, it’ll be changed on the start of the road trip tomorrow.” Rius shrugs, and Noctis immediately whips his phone out. “Noct, what are you doing?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Planning a sleepover.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Noctis’ phone buzzed, and the two of them looked at Gladio’s response. “I’m down if everyone’s packed.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I am! Finished last night.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I have been packed for a week.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Uh,” Rius says, looking at the phone. “I think I’m nearly done packing. I still had some laundry to do.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Got it,” Noctis said, typing into his phone.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey guys, Rius still needs to finish packing.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I guess that just means we’ll sleep over at his place.” Ignis replies. “It’s the apartment building on 12th street, right? Suite 204?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Give me that,” Rius says, snatching his phone and typing. After a few minutes he handed it back over, and Noctis quickly read the messages.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How the hell do you know that? -R.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It is my job to know about where Noctis goes.” [You have disliked this message]</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Besides, I have friends in many places.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I thought we were your only friends, Iggy.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I do not know if we can consider each other friends after making out in the back of the Regalia.” [Three people have raised eyebrows at this message]</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But you’re right. I have acquaintances in many places.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Either way, Rius, can you confirm if I’m correct? I need to tell the driver where to go so we can meet up.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“...”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You're right. Tell the bellhop you know me. There’s an extra key in the second pot.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Holy shit. Ignis, you’re terrifying.” [Ignis has liked this message]</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Noctis looked back up. “I guess we should probably leave?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think I still have an hour left,” Rius says, standing up. Noctis felt his mouth dry at the slight strip of skin that peeked from the bottom of the vest. “I can probably come back after a few tables, just gotta let Anders know where I’ll be.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Right.” Noctis cannot believe that Rius legs are sculpted like that. He refuses to believe it. There’s no way. “Thanks.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He makes eye contact with Rius and feels himself blush hard. Rius laughs, giving the prince a peck on his forehead before leaving.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Noctis is so fucked.</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>Rius returns with a scowl on his face. Noctis raises an eyebrow. “What’s up?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Asshole at a table thought that the rules didn’t apply to him,” the waiter explains, sighing as he takes a seat. “Wanted to get a little handsy.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There’s a pang of something that Noctis tries to push down. “You okay?” he asks instead, probably more rushed than it would have normally been. He starts when he realizes that he’s been shamelessly scanning Rius to see if anything was off, and the waiter chuckles as the prince feels his face get hotter.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m fine,” Rius says, staring across the table. The two of them make eye contact, and Noctis cannot tell what he’s thinking. “But I think he did try to reach-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Noctis growls, and the room goes silent. Rius’ looks shocked. Noctis has no idea where that came from. “I, uh-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Holy shit,” Rius says, starting to laugh, “what was that? Do- Do you-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He didn’t hurt you, right?” Noctis asks, finding himself closer to Rius now, anxiously double checking him for any bruises or scratches.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He didn’t even touch me, Noct,” Rius answers, and Noctis stops as he feels a hand grab his. He makes the mistake of looking directly at Rius at the same time the waiter asks, “Are you jealous that he tried?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What? No!” There’s that look, the same one he was given in Lestallum the first go around. “Maybe? I just care about you guys a lot.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I care about you too, Noct,” Rius says, and Noctis feels himself be pulled into a hug. Both of their heartbeats are in the same rhythm. Beat. Beat.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey,” he says, not moving from the hug. Beat. “I need to connect you to the Armiger. Just in case, you know?” Beat.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rius sighs, and Noctis can feel it on his chest. Beat. “Got it. Do I need to do anything?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You just need to trust me,” Noctis says. Beat. He pulls himself out of the hug and looks Rius in the eyes. “You trust me, right?” He feels his eyes start to glow.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Beat. Beat. “I do,” Rius says, and for a brief moment, Noctis gets flashes of memories that are never his: riding around in a car with friends, shouting lyrics to the radio; struggling on a history test; the beeping noises of two hospital monitors; the rowdy nature of an orphanage; the dangerous nature of the streets; a near-dizzying feeling as Rius swings around on something; the feeling of riding behind a car on a skateboard; fire; a kiss-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The kiss is the now, and as the Armiger finishes tying itself to Rius, Noctis is fully aware that the two of them are kissing, and Rius is picking him up and Noctis is on his back now, still on the table as their hands travel everywhere that can still be considered chaste-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They have to break apart to breathe. Beat beat. Beat beat. Beat beat. Noctis swears that a drop of sweat is running down Rius’ temple. “Holy Six, that was…” Rius says, standing up. “That was something.” Noctis sees the goofy and blissful expression on the dancer’s face and has to start thinking about taxes before he thinks about other things.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” the prince says, sitting up, “Connecting someone to the Armiger is always like that.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You have to kiss them?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Noctis blushes. “No, not really. That’s- that’s more of a bonus.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rius’ eyebrows rise, and he looks excited at the thought. “Is there more to the bonus?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Noctis thinks about the other guys. “As long as you’re willing to share it with three others.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I can live with that,” Rius says, giving Noctis a peck on the cheek. “I can definitely live with that.”</span>
</p>
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